Clipboard Kings: Assessing The Saints QB Depth

PART 11 IN A SERIES:

We hear it every year at this time, the backup quarterback is one of the most important positions on the roster.  Whether it is or not is a debate for another time, but it’s under the microscope now more than ever as teams try to justify how many resources, or in some cases how few, they’ve committed to the position….and you hear reports of young QB’s who are just “killing it” in their mini-camps.

The position can either be rendered completely irrelevant: Jim Sorgi never getting his uniform dirty in meaningful situations backing up Peyton Manning from 2004 – 2010.  Or franchise altering: The Colts never addressing the position appropriately, team goes 2-14 without Manning in 2011, total housecleaning, first pick, Manning moves on, Andrew Luck now in place. 

I thought it would be interesting to take a look at every team’s backup situation.  These aren’t grades, just an overall look at the total sum of each team’s outlook if their starter were to go down.  I’ll consider the immediate situation and the longer-term picture.

I’ll go in order of my NFL Power Rankings 1.0, published May 10th.

Today, the New Orleans Saints:

PROJECTED BACKUP: Chase Daniel (4th Year)

Perhaps no other team has a brighter spotlight shining on it’s backup quarterback situation than the Saints.  With Drew Brees holding out, Chase Daniel was taking the first team reps in OTA’s until suffering a hairline fracture in the thumb of his throwing hand.  If the season opener was next week, this would be devastating news.  Daniel has worked extremely hard since entering the league as an undrafted free agent after an illustrious career at Missouri.  Barely 6′ 0″….. Daniel was considered a system QB who would struggle to adapt to the size and speed of the NFL game.  But the once-soft Daniel has changed his body since entering the league, shedding body fat and improving his arm strength…. and has been the Saints primary backup for the last 2 seasons.  Sean Payton is extremely high on him, and he’s considered a possible in-demand free agent when he reaches unrestricted status in 2013.  If Brees holdout continues into the regular season, or if he were to get hurt, the Saints need a healthy Daniels to keep some sort of offensive continuity.  Still, we’re talking about a guy here who’s looked good in preseason action but has never been tested with live bullets.  How many of those have we seen fail?

Verdict:  Crapshoot

PROJECTED 3rd QB: Sean Canfield (2nd Year)

Canfield served on the Saints practice squad last year, and Payton is high on him.  He’s got prototype NFL size, has a strong arm, and was well-schooled by Oregon State head coach Mike Riley.  Canfield’s long-term ceiling may be higher than Daniels, and if Daniels isn’t ready to go when training camp starts next month, he’ll get a lot more opportunities to develop.  And if Brees is still holding out, he’ll get a lot of first team reps too.

Verdict:  Sleeper

OTHER CONTENDERS: Luke McCown (9th Year)

If this was Luke’s older brother Josh (now with the Bears), the Saints would be in better hands.  He was signed after Daniels broke his thumb.  The problem is, he’s not good.  He couldn’t even hold off Blaine Gabbert in Jacksonville last year.

Summary:  Daniel’s injury isn’t considered serious, and he’s expected to start throwing again shortly before training camp begins.  The Saints have a lot of confidence in him, and there’s a chance he could operate their offense efficiently in Brees absence.  But it’s a huge unknown.  Canfield is an intriguing developmental player, and could ascend to the backup role should Daniels depart as a free agent next year.